Developmental psychology suggests that children are incapable of experiencing, perceiving or thinking as mature adults. But the first systematic study of religious experience, conducted in Great Britain, revealed evidence of profound levels of spiritual awareness in childhood which continued to be of significance in later adult understanding. The purpose of this study was to answer the following questions: (1) What is the nature of this 'unlearned' or 'direct' knowledge in childhood? (2) How is it related to 'learned' forms of knowledge, both in the short and the long-term? (3) How do individuals integrate/synthesize these two forms (and how do they fail)? (4) How does education assist or made difficult this integration? (5) How is this 'direct' knowledge related to other talents? Qualitative research methods were used. In-depth phenomenological interviewing was chosen as the methodology best suited to this subject. Eight adults participated in the study. A broad range of spiritual experiences and insights in childhood were described. These were unique, yet had many similar elements. The similarities were found to exist in the kinds of 'a priori' knowledge they described, and in the difficulties this knowledge created for them in environments which denied its existence. The educational process, (public school), was seen as destructive of their need to comprehend and integrate their insights. Involvement in imaginative activities was described as the primary means in which an integration of 'learned' and 'unlearned' knowledge could take place. All of the participants described this integration as a life-long process, and they described their early spiritual awareness as having on-going relevance to that process. These findings suggest that the developmental model is inadequate to explain the nature of personal 'maturity'. A 'visional', as opposed to a 'juridical', model is proposed. The need for a rapprochement between 'objective' and 'participant' ways of knowing is discussed as one of the most important issues for education that this study reveals.

Research in parent training programs has shown that STEP (Dinkmeyer and McKay, 1976) can be presented in less than nine weeks, but little information exists with regard to its use with populations other than middle-class parents, and no studies have focused on presenting the program to low-income Puerto Rican parents. To test whether the STEP program (Spanish translation) would work with Puerto Ricans, twenty-four low-income Puerto Rican volunteer mothers of three and four year olds from a pre-school were randomly assigned to one control and one experimental group. Beside the "group" condition with subjects taking the training in consecutive weeks, there was, based on convenience to parents, an "individualized" condition in which subjects had individual appointments and rescheduled as needed. The modified program was taught in four sessions; the cuts involved focusing on the skills and omitting the discussions. A T-test revealed a significant improvement in experimental mothers' knowledge of the course material (T = $-$2.58, p =.033). A two-way ANCOVA showed a significant change in mothers' attitudes regarding their child behavior on an adapted APACBS (F = 4.7, p =.048) but not on the 32-item APACBS scale (F=.033, p =.85). A qualitative analysis revealed clinically significant changes of behaviors. Six of the ten experimental mothers when asked at post-test what they were doing regarding the target behavior they selected for their child focused on their own parental behavior and limitations. In contrast, control group parents focussed strictly on punishment or its absence. Some parents prefer to join large groups while others wanted the program on an individual basis. Very high interest for the program and training was expressed.

Previous research does not address the integral role art plays in early childhood education and preschool teachers and providers are rarely trained to teach art creatively. This study presents a framework for training early childhood providers in the developmental and psychological aspects of early childhood art, and the methodology of formulating and teaching creative art activities. The study assessed the effectiveness of this training in changing attitudes and behaviors of preschool teachers and day care providers, regarding the value of art for the young child and methods of teaching art to children. The sample was composed of 73 preschool teachers, assistant teachers, and family day care providers in Western Massachusetts. The treatment group received training in creative art activities. Both groups were administered pre- and post- tests regarding attitudes towards children's art, a demographic survey and a researcher-designed preschool and day care questionnaire. After the training the subjects' styles of teaching art to young children were observed and evaluated. The treatment group completed an evaluation of the training, a self-evaluation form and participated in post- training interviews. The effectiveness of the training program was confirmed by the evaluations. Subjects found the training was important to their professional growth. Statistical findings reveal significant differences for 11 of the 23 items on the Likert-type attitude pretest and posttest. Non-significant findings show a change in the expected direction for almost all items. Although the control group also showed change on some items, their change was always smaller than that of the treatment group. The data showed that overall, educational level made no difference in participants' attitudes towards the value of children's art. The methodology and behavior of teaching art by treatment group subjects were more effective than the control group. When observed, treatment group subjects displayed a smaller percentage of dictated art activities. Both groups displayed an equal percentage of creative art activities in their facilities. The results of this study indicate the importance of teaching art creatively with an awareness of the developmental and psychological implications for preschool children. It depicts positive implications for future research.

This study describes teachers' shared meaning for the concept of "community" within early childhood classrooms at a school committed to community-building. Nine early childhood teachers at a progressive private school in western Massachusetts were the principle informants for this study. The qualitative design of this study was guided by the rationale and method of multi-vocal visual-ethnography. The primary method of study was a series of interviews: semi-structured interviews with individual teachers, video-reflective interviews with teaching teams, and a series of large group video-reflective interviews which provoked cultural "outsider" reflections. These "outsider" interviews involved the Massachusetts teachers' discussion of videotape from Italian early childhood classrooms, and conversely, Italian teachers' discussion of videotape from the Massachusetts teachers' classrooms. The analysis of the data was based upon grounded theory, using the constant comparison method to construct a set of themes that represented the teachers' thinking about community. Four themes, which convey a complex understanding of community in early childhood classrooms, were found and discussed: first, teachers sought to balance the tension between issues of inclusion and exclusion; second, teachers conceptualized community as a reflection of the qualities of unique individuals; third, the teachers constructed images about the transmission and development of community over time; and fourth, teachers thought about community as involving an integration of freedom and structure. The teachers used the metaphors of "boundary" and "ownership" to express the dialectic between individualistic values and the building of community. The findings show that the teachers' thinking was influenced by, but not contained by the dichotomy between the individual and the group that is found in philosophical, cultural, and developmental ideas in North American society. Furthermore, the teachers recognized the potential for young children in a group setting to participate in, and contribute to the building of community. A theoretical framework is proposed for future research concerning classroom community.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a second year in kindergarten on the self-concept, peer acceptance, academic attitude, classroom adjustment, and academic achievement of children who were identified by their kindergarten teacher as developmentally unready for first grade. The ex post facto study, which was conducted in a large school district in northern California, was unique in its longitudinal nature. Whereas other studies looked at subjects over a 2 or 3 year period, no other study was found that examined the effects of kindergarten nonpromotion over an 8 year span. The sample comprised 63 pupils who entered kindergarten between the chronological ages of 5 years 3 months and 4 years 9 months and who were assigned primarily to one kindergarten teacher. The subjects were divided into two groups: (1) The developmentally immature nonpromoted (DI-N), the children whose parents accepted the recommendation for a second year in kindergarten and (2) The developmentally immature promoted (DI-P), the children whose parents placed them in first grade notwithstanding the teacher assessment of readiness. The subjects represented various racial backgrounds and different socioeconomic levels. An analysis of variance was used to compare the self-concept (SCAHIN), peer acceptance (BRP Sociometric Scale), academic attitude (EAS), classroom adjustment (DESB II), and academic achievement (CTBS) means for the two groups. Grade level was used as a controlling variable to parcel out differences between grades into separate categories, to provide information concerning possible interaction effect among factors, and to extend the generalizability of the findings. Results indicated that nonpromotion of the developmentally immature kindergarten child had a positive effect upon subsequent levels of peer acceptance, academic attitude, classroom adjustment, and academic achievement. The difference between means was beyond the .01 level for the BRP and beyond the .05 level for scores on the EAS, 5 of 6 of the scores on the CTBS and 10 of 14 factors on the DESB II all favoring the nonpromoted group. The differences in the cumulative CTBS mean scores favored the nonpromotcd group and were beyond the .01 level at every grade. Although nonsignificant F-values beyond p>.05 were obtained on the variable self-concept, it was noted that the statistics consistently favored the nonpromoted group.

No description available.

This research study uses a descriptive approach and systematic observations to examine the nature of nonverbal teacher-student interaction in a second grade inclusion classroom. Its purpose is to compare the nonverbal behaviors of children who are considered average in ability with those who are perceived as cognitively challenged, while they are engaged in regular classroom instruction in both large and small group settings. This study also examines the nonverbal behaviors of one teacher as she interacts with a select group of students within the context of a naturalistic classroom environment. The data collection involved classroom observations noting context, formal and informal discussions with the classroom teacher regarding lesson instruction, student profiles, and overall study validity and the videotaping of small and large group math lessons. For purposes of analysis, each videotape was viewed numerous times in an effort to capture the nonverbal interaction in the categories of Verbal Eye Contact, and Nonverbal Eye Focus (i.e., attending to teacher/student, attending to procedure, non-attending) in three situations: Student-teacher, Teacher-student, Student-student. Intra-observer agreement was established. The role of teacher/student proximity and teacher voice tone were addressed separately. The results indicate that the most common nonverbal behavior exhibited by both the special education students (SES) and regular education students (RES) was attending to procedure under the category of Eye Focus. The SES varied more among themselves in the verbal eye contact category, teacher eye focus and non-attending subcategories than did the (RES). Verbal eye contact and attending to student and attending to procedure in the Eye Focus category were the predominant nonverbal behaviors used by the classroom teacher. In most cases the majority of nonverbal interaction occurred between students who sat in close proximity regardless of their cognitive ability. The small group setting lent itself to greater frequencies in each of the nonverbal categories for both RES and SES. The data from this study also indicate a relationship between teacher voice tone and effective classroom management. Taking into consideration the possible nonverbal behaviors which engage all students may assist teachers as they attempt to meet the diversity in today's inclusion classroom.

Elementary preservice teachers often struggle with their relationships with their students. Research suggests that they have internalized robust teaching scripts that limit their learning of progressive pedagogical methods. As a result of these scripts and relational patterns learned in their family of origin they become progressively more authoritarian and controlling under the situational pressures of traditional classrooms. From the perspective of narrative psychology our sense of self is constructed from meanings that we attach to critical early childhood events, the stories we tell about ourselves, and the way we habitually position ourselves towards others. This critical phenomenological study explored with preservice teachers the ways in which the meanings they attached to early childhood events influence who they become as teachers and how they relate to students. Fourteen preservice elementary school teachers selected from a teacher education program shared their life stories during an interview prior to a two-day orientation circle meeting at the beginning of their prepracticum semester. Participants met in two support circles meeting four times during the semester. The interviews and circle meetings were tape-recorded. The data were analyzed to identify their stories and the way they navigated the discourses of power in their narratives and any emerging cultural themes. The data from five of the participants were analyzed in detail using Stanton Wortham's tools to determine how they were positioning themselves within their narratives and in the storytelling event. All the participants identified critical early childhood events that influence how they construct themselves as students and teachers. They employed the same discipline practices that they experienced in early childhood. Binary opposites of culturally valued concepts were used in self-construction. Their narratives revealed multiple, interwoven, mutually supportive, conflicted and contradictory stories and clashing societal discourses as they struggled to become teachers in relation to students. Implications for teacher education included using circles along with written collaborative autobiographies and case studies of young students to identify and critically analyze the discourses that interpellate themselves and their students. Further research is required to follow students through two years of teaching. More diverse groups should be studied.

A study was initiated to determine the relationship between selected home experiences of Iranian preschool children and their levels of achievement in language skills and in the learning of basic concepts.

No description available.